[From www.sfcv.org, 4/27]

The Colorado Symphony announced on Monday that Santa Rosa Symphony
music director Jeffrey Kahane, 47, will lead the Denver-based orchestra,
beginning with the 2005-2006 season, but becoming official "music director
designate" this fall.  He will be the ninth music director in the 81-year
history of the orchestra (previously known as the Denver Symphony).

Kahane is succeeding Marin Alsop, also 47, who became CSO's music director
laureate shortly after appointed principal conductor of the Bournemouth
Symphony in England last year.  Kahane will complete his 10th year in
Santa Rosa next June, becoming SRS's music advisor, and will plan the
2006-2007 season.

Santa Rosa Symphony executive director Alan Silow told Classical Voice
that a search committee for Kahane's successor has already been formed,
including four orchestra musicians, five board members and himself from
the administration.  The goal, Silow said, is to come up with a preliminary
short list of a dozen names as soon as next month.  Two guest conductors
have been engaged for the next season even before the new developments,
and five more guests/candidates are expected to be added.

Some background facts:

- Denver has a population of 2.3 million; Santa Rosa: 140,000.
- The Colorado Symphony's last-reported operating budget was about $10
million, with a $250,000 deficit; Santa Rosa's is $2.4 million, with a
$30,000 deficit.
- The music director's last reported annual salary in Denver was $185,000;
in Santa Rosa: $135,000. Both Alsop and Kahane have substantial income from
the combination of other sources - other permanent positions (such as the
Cabrillo Festival for Alsop, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for Kahane)
and guest-conducting engagements.
- The next Symphony season in Denver opens with Alsop conducting Brahms'
Schicksalslied, a work by Jennifer Higdon, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
in Santa Rosa, Kahane leads a program with the Beethoven Violin Concerto,
Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2, and Robert Aldridge's Leda and the
Swan.
- Santa Rosa's next season will offer 21 subscription concerts, and
10 non-subscription concerts which include four chamber music, and two
popular music concerts.  In Denver, the orchestra's activity is about
triple those figures.

Janos Gereben/SF
www.sfcv.org
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